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Necoa #: 6231
Location: 1(NY)
Joined: Oct 07, 2005
Posts: 222
Year: 1976
Model: El Camino
Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 8:26 am Post subject: car count?
I was wondering if any one tried to figure out how many members had how many El Caminos and what year they were and what part of the country (and CAN)?
Could some one running elcaminocentral.com set something up (like build and run a script) in the user profiles so the members could check a box for each year El Camino (and or sprint) they own and a drop down to choose quantities? (What part of the country would be cool also) this data would be collected and compiled on the server.
We could remind everyone to re visit there profile and update it. and new users would just fill it out.
Then display the grand total on a chart (a map perhaps?) for everyone to see. It would be interesting to see this data. Also it would give us a good Idea what's where in the country.
This might also be a good tool for parts vendors.
I wonder if we could get that data from Motor Vehicles?
Thoughts and comments? _________________ Randy Dunn.
That should be a requirement to become a member, maybe even a VIN as verification of Elky ownership! _________________ "Still Just Truck'in"
"Johnny"
Bradley, Illinois
Necoa #: 128
Location: 7(AL,GA,TN)
Joined: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 1399
Year: 1987
Model: El Camino
Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 1:14 pm Post subject: Re: car count?
Random wrote:
We could remind everyone to re visit there profile and update it. and new users would just fill it out.
Hate to be the one burst the bubble here...but that's been attempted before with little to no success. Although a great idea in principal, just don't see it happening.
Necoa #: 572
Location: 10(IL,MN,WI)
Joined: Jan 28, 2003
Posts: 3629
Year: 1984
Model: El Camino
Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 3:52 pm Post subject:
Although it would be nice if all 6894 members participated, unfortunately there many that do not and some that have probably never even returned after joining...like "Joesmuckatelli" from Cucamonga. Maybe after a year of no activity non-participating members could be automatically sent an email stating they'll be deleted from membership unless they respond within 30 days. I'm sure that some of these people, no longer own Elkys', have lost interest, have different email addresses or maybe have forgotten they even joined. _________________ "The day we lose our will to fight is the day we lose our freedom" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG4fe9GlWS8
I agree with two things said above. One, at least one vin number should be required to prove EC ownership, with room for more. Second, there should be a clean-up or purge process to clean up the database and keep it more accurate a to active and interested members. I am fairly new to this site, but joined an Impala SS site and had to have proper vin number to join. _________________ Len
-------------------------------------
1972 El Camino, I Bought New
1995 Chevy Impala SS
Necoa #: 6231
Location: 1(NY)
Joined: Oct 07, 2005
Posts: 222
Year: 1976
Model: El Camino
Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 8:05 am Post subject:
77SS wrote:
That is a LOT of work. This would have little use, unless EVERY member filled in their profile properly.
All it should take is a MDB file on the server, and asp. Some one with access to the server to connect it all. People do this everyday.
Tracking of no activity non-participating members and sending and e-mail is a good Idea, records could be purged that way.
Forcing existing members, update there profiles once a year is a good idea also.
The Vin I idea, I see a few folks (and vendors) in here that do not own El Caminos, but have other cars and share there knowledge with this group.
Maybe without a vin they are a "guest" and without a vin and a donation they are an "honored guest". You never want to kiss of guests.
87SS wrote:
Hate to be the one burst the bubble here...but that's been attempted before with little to no success. Although a great idea in principal, just don't see it happening.
That depends on how it was handled. If when you join, and once a year, you have to update your profile, it will work. It would take a year to see all the results. But it will work.
The biggest problem is people in general (me too ) are afraid of change when you mess with there comfort zone. The “if it aint broke don’t fix it” attitude. And if they want to leave it like it is, that’s fine.
I was just looking around the site, saw a need, and pointed it out , with a solution.
Necoa #: 31
Location: 8(OH,WV)
Joined: Jan 01, 2003
Posts: 273
Year: 1978
Model: El Camino
Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 11:09 am Post subject:
I don't think a vin should be a requirement for membership. I believe there are some non owners that can contribute. That was a requirement of the NECOA & seemed a little to elitish ( is that a word? I didn't think so. ) to me. I do think that the membership should be culled. If there was a way to delete anyone who hasn't logged on in the past year I would be in favor of that. We have many members that have registered 2, 3 & even 4 times. This process would eliminate the inactive registrations. Jon _________________ Z15 EL
NECOA Member#31
ECC Member#13
14.027 @ 99.80
Necoa #: 6351
Location: 5(NC,SC)
Joined: Oct 28, 2005
Posts: 958
Year: 1979
Model: El Camino
Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2006 9:10 pm Post subject:
Random wrote:
77SS wrote:
That is a LOT of work. This would have little use, unless EVERY member filled in their profile properly.
All it should take is a MDB file on the server, and asp. Some one with access to the server to connect it all. People do this everyday.
...
Randy
I don't think Robert's going to be putting an Access and Active Server Pages on a Linux server running mySQL and Apache. Besides, the data is already in a database and you can script it all in PHP which is running the ECC site. _________________ Regards,
Necoa #: 4241
Location: 9(IN,KY,MI)
Joined: Nov 07, 2004
Posts: 1443
Year: 1977
Model: El Camino
Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2006 11:03 pm Post subject:
jayachtee wrote:
I don't think Robert's going to be putting an Access and Active Server Pages on a Linux server running mySQL and Apache. Besides, the data is already in a database and you can script it all in PHP which is running the ECC site.
Correct.
Maximum effort + minimal benefit = it ain't going to happen.
This same thing has been proposed many times before, and it has been killed many times before.
The best thing is to just let it be. _________________ Steve Frey
My Gallery
Necoa #: 4241
Location: 9(IN,KY,MI)
Joined: Nov 07, 2004
Posts: 1443
Year: 1977
Model: El Camino
Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2006 11:31 pm Post subject: Re: Do you own an El Camino?
Bowtie wrote:
Random,
I couldn't help but notice you don't mention whether or not you own a Camino in your Profile?
This supports my earlier point. If a member that wants more membership information to be filled out, doesn't fill it out themselves, you could only imagine trying to get members that aren't concerned with it to fill it out! _________________ Steve Frey
My Gallery
Necoa #: 6231
Location: 1(NY)
Joined: Oct 07, 2005
Posts: 222
Year: 1976
Model: El Camino
Posted: Thu Mar 09, 2006 7:27 am Post subject:
jayachtee wrote:
I don't think Robert's going to be putting an Access and Active Server Pages on a Linux server running mySQL and Apache. Besides, the data is already in a database and you can script it all in PHP which is running the ECC site.
Ok
It just seems like a waste to have a good tool at your finger tips and not use it.
MBD and ASP was only an example.
PHP and scripts would work just as well. I guess the difficulty level depends on the developer’s skill sets.
I spent the last 10 years developing CBT’s for the aircraft maintenance industry, did allot of things like this. Seemed to be a good example.
It's funny, I don't remember seeing the fields when I filled that out. My bad. I guess you could of made that a required field.
I took a look and changed it, it only took a few seconds.
So about collecting data,
No problem, never mind, I'll drop it, I didn't think it would be such a big deal. I will not make any more suggestions concerning this.
Sorry if I crossed some line or made anyone upset.
Good ideas for more information, all of them. However, many members will not provide even minimum info such as their state or email address. As an organization, we have tried to keep this as informal and voluntary as possible. Whenever it is suggested that we "require" or "force" members to do something, we cause all kinds of debate. Not unexpected, since anyone who would own an El Camino is a bit of a non-conformist.
All we can do is simply ask members occasionally to update thier profiles as they get more comfortable with ECC/NECOA. Until contributions become so large that we hire a full-time site administrator, there is no way Robert More and his volunteer assistants can tackle cleaning up even things like duplicate memberships. Its a full-time battle just defending against site hackers! But keep those suggestions coming in, cumulatively they all help this site grow and become better! _________________ View my El Camino
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That should be a requirement to become a member, maybe even a VIN as verification of Elky ownership!
) are afraid of change when you mess with there comfort zone. The “if it aint broke don’t fix it” attitude. And if they want to leave it like it is, that’s fine.
) to me. I do think that the membership should be culled. If there was a way to delete anyone who hasn't logged on in the past year I would be in favor of that. We have many members that have registered 2, 3 & even 4 times. This process would eliminate the inactive registrations. Jon
